The Christian Harmony is a shape note hymn and tune book compiled by William Walker. The book was released in 1866¹. It is part of the larger tradition of shape note singing. Shape notes are a system of music notation designed to facilitate choral singing. ... William Walker (May 6, 1809 - September 24, 1875) was a Baptist song leader, shape note singing master, and compiler of three shape note tunebooks¹. He was born in South Carolina, and grew up near Spartanburg. ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

William Walker was born in 1809 in South Carolina, and grew up near Spartanburg. He became a Baptist song leader and shape note "singing master". Walker and Benjamin Franklin White, publisher of the Sacred Harp, married sisters. In 1835, Walker published a tunebook entitled Southern Harmony in the four-shape notation. He incorporated over half of the contents of this Southern Harmony in his Christian Harmony in 1866. For the Christian Harmony, Walker changed from the "four-note" system to the "seven-shape" system. Retaining the original four shapes of the Southern Harmony, he devised three other shapes of his own. In explaining his change from the four-shape system which he had previously championed, Walker explained that parents wouldn't name seven children with only four names. A second edition was released in 1873. William Walker died on September 24, 1875. 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 320 km 420 km 6 32°430N to 35°12N 78°030W to 83°20W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 26th 4,012... A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church. ... Benjamin Franklin White (September 20, 1800 - December 5, 1879) was a shape note singing master, and compiler of the shape note tunebook known as The Sacred Harp. ... Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that took root in the Southern region of the United States. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Southern Harmony is a shape note hymn and tune book compiled by William Walker. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

The Christian Harmony is currently available in two editions - the "North Carolina" edition and the "Alabama" edition. The book used in western North Carolina is a 1979 reprint of Walker's 1873 edition of the Christian Harmony. None of the old songs were changed in the new reprint - four songs and some commentary were added. The "Alabama" edition is a line of revision of the Christian Harmony book in 1958. The work was carried out under the leadership of O. A. Parris and John H. Deason. This edition utilizes the seven-shape system of Jesse B. Aiken. This was an adaptation because Aikin's system was the most common among gospel singers in the South. In addition to changing to the Aikin notation, the 1958 revision deleted some songs and added new ones. It is used mainly in Alabama and Mississippi. A revision of the "Alabama" book was released in 1994, with a few song changes and corrections. This page refers to the year 1979. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jesse B. Aiken was a shape note singing master, and compiler of the shape note tunebook The Christian Minstrel. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

References

• White Spirituals in the Southern Uplands, by George Pullen Jackson

External links

• Christian Harmony page
• Christian Harmony in Newton County, Mississippi

Footnote

1. Some sources give the date as 1867.